The Chicago Bears Are Linked to Explosive Prospect Flying Well Under the Radar

The Bears are dead set on improving their depth at the defensive tackle position this offseason. They signed three defensive tackles in free agency (although two were signed to contracts that will pay them near the veteran minimum for the position), and they certainly appear intent on addressing the defensive interior via the draft, as well. They've clearly been doing their homework on the class.

They hosted Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald for a visit last week, and they also have their eyes on another (much lesser-known) big man. According to NFL analyst Ryan Fowler, they will also be hosting University of Washington defensive tackle Anterio Thompson.

Source: Washington iDL Anterio Thompson has a 30 visit scheduled with the Chicago Bears.

Ran a 4.75 40 at 306 lbs with 30 reps on the bench with a 4.38 SS at pro day. Outstanding athlete within the interior.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 27, 2026

Unlike McDonald, who is widely considered one of the best run stuffers in the class and a relative lock to be a top 50 selection, Thompson is far from a known commodity. In fact, 319 prospects received invites to participate in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, and he wasn't one of them.

According to Washington Huskies OnSI's Dan Raley, the 6'4", 310 lb. defensive tackle actually considered going back to school for another year before deciding to make the jump to the pros. He might not boast an elite on-field resume, but there's no doubting the fact that he's an athletic specimen. He put on an absolute show at the University of Washington's Pro Day.

Thompson ran a blistering (for a 310-pounder, anyway) 4.75-second 40-yard dash. He also put up 30 reps on the bench press and had a 9'6" broad jump. Each of those marks would've ranked inside the top two among defensive tackles (and the 40 time actually would've been tied for first) at the combine.

His 9.36 RAS (which compares all prospects based on their measurables and testing numbers) ranked 136th among defensive tackles since 1987.

Anterio Thompson is a DT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.36 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 136 out of 2104 DT from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/WCWmd02DII pic.twitter.com/u81uugui1s
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 21, 2026

So, if he's such a standout athlete, why isn't there more hype around him? Why didn't he get invited to the combine?

For starters, he was the NFL equivalent of a journeyman at the college level. He played for a different school every season since 2022. He began his collegiate career at Iowa Western Community College, before hitting the portal for the University of Iowa, where he primarily played on special teams. He then transferred to Western Michigan in 2024 before closing out his collegiate career with Washington last season.

He's coming off his most productive season, as he had 30 tackles and 1.5 sacks. However, he did that in a rotational role. He only started two games for Washington this season. To his credit, he did receive the third-highest grade on Washington's defense this season from Pro Football Focus (76.6) and represented the school in the inaugural American Bowl.

While Thompson is now firmly on the NFL's radar, this is not a situation where they should overdraft him. He's certainly talented, but the overall resume is more indicative of a player who shouldn't be in consideration before the third day of the draft.

The Bears have three selections on day three. I think the fourth round is far too early to take a shot on Thompson. Now that I mention it, he does have eerily similar vibes to Ruben Hyppolite II, whom the team selected in the fourth last year after he blew up the drills at his Pro Day, though. We all saw how that one went last season.ason.

Personally, I hope the Bears target the defensive tackle position much earlier. I've already planted my flag squarely on the Gracen Halton bandwagon. With that said, if they opt to continue hunting the bargain bin, and Thompson is somehow still on the board in the seventh (which would be a bit of a surprise based on his testing numbers), then he'd be a worthwhile gamble at that point.